Will Sarah Palin endorsement be Carly Fiorina's albatross?

The Sarah Palin stamp of approval may not always be a help, especially when it comes to the general election. Her endorsement of California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina may turn out to be a case in point.

In the Field poll, 91 percent of respondents had an opinion of Palin, with 33 percent viewing her favorably and 58 percent unfavorably. Not surprisingly, Democrats have a highly negative view of her, by a margin of 8 to 1, and Republicans view her more positively – 74 percent favorable to 19 percent unfavorable. But independent voters also have an unfavorable view of Palin, 69 percent to 25 percent.

So what does this mean for Carly Fiorina, the Republican candidate for Senate who was endorsed by Palin in the California primary? The endorsement raised eyebrows at the time among some Republicans, given that Ms. Fiorina’s opponent in the primary, Chuck DeVore, had "tea party" support and was considered the more “conservative” candidate.

But Fiorina may do better to distance herself from Palin. Recent polls show her trailing Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer by about five percentage points, and support from independents – who seem less enchanted with Palin than primary voters – would be crucial to a Fiorina victory.

More broadly, the poll raises questions about how Palin’s influence in primary elections – which are characterized by a smaller, highly partisan electorate – will differ from November’s election. Stay tuned.